The story of one of the most successful restaurateurs is about to be told. HBO is going to release a documentary on Mr. Chow.
Hypebeast is reporting that the legendary chef will have his journey explored in a feature film this October, AKA Mr. Chow. Directed by Nick Hooker (AgnelIi) and produced by Academy Award-nominated Diane Quon (Minding The Gap), AKA Mr. Chow aims to detail the culinary icon’s early beginnings in Shanghai and making Chinese food global.
“In an intimate, spirited, and no-holds-barred interview, Michael Chow unveils the irrepressible spirit and personal philosophy that led him to counter the hardships of his early life” a press release states. “By single-handedly building a business empire in the 1960s and 1970s with his restaurants, he showcased the richness and opulence of Chinese food and culture and by capturing the cultural zeitgeist, they became dazzling hubs for the most celebrated artists, film stars, musicians, designers, and models of the times.”
Not only will AKA Mr. Chow feature an in depth interview with Michael Chow but it will also have contributions from Calvin Klein, Peter Blake, Julian Schnabel, and Ed Ruscha. According to the chain’s website “the first MR CHOW restaurant opened in London on Valentine’s Day in 1968 with top chefs serving authentic Beijing cuisine and with creative original recipes such as Chicken Satay and Ma Mignon.”
The site adds that “MR CHOW has since expanded to the USA opening the Beverly Hills location in 1974, then New York where the first location opened in 1979 on 57th Street, and the second location in New York TriBeCa in 2006. The fifth location opened in the summer of 2009 at the W Hotel in Miami Beach. The sixth location opened in 2016 at the Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.”
AKA Mr. Chow will debut Sunday, Oct. 22 (9:00-10:30 p.m. ET/PT) on HBO and will be available to stream on Max.